Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-03-31
From the A'peaa Michigan Pioneer J
A Shocking Fatality.

a Shocking tataIty
BOILER EXFLO.ION CAUSES The DEATH OF
THREE CAER BROTHERS.
The city was shocked Tuesday morning
al the report that the boiler AT the shin-le
mill known as the Monaghan mill had ex-
ploded killing one man and injuring two
others. The report was brought in from
the mill. about twelve miles distant on the
lake shore, by Young man who was
working al the mill at the time of the
catastrophe He had started at once for
medical assistance and could give but a
slight account Of the affair beyond the
fact Of the explosion and that one man
was killed. another fatally injured and
third badly hurt, and that they were the
Carr brothers the owners of the mill. The
report caused great excitement. Drs.
Maiden and Newton were soon started for
the scene of The accident and they were
followed by number OF citizens. among
them a representative OF the Pioneer
Arrived at the mill the sight presented
was such as can hardly be imagined by
those who have never visited the scene Of
a boiler explosion. The engine room in
which the boiler was situated was entirely
demolished, the only evidence that il ever
existed being few broken boards scat
tered about with shingles on them The
mill itself was apparently but little injured
except where ii had been connected to the
engine house. Shin2lc bolts and broken
punches OF shingles were scattered about
in every direction. The engine was left
in its proper position. though broken but
the most remarkable sight was the iron
boiler, weighing about five tons. lying i'll
the snow over one hundred feet from the
mill, where it had been thrown by the ter
rife force Of the explosion. The feet that
the snow in the intervening space between
it and the mill was undistmbed showed
that the heavy iron mass had been lifted
into the air and borne TO the place where
il lay A hole in the deep snow al the end
of the boiler, and the position Of the boiler
as it lay, showed that il had struck on enc
end and turned completely over. The
cause of the accident i not definitely
known as vet. though ii j generally be
lieyed TO have been the result Of some de-
feet in the boiler. Emory Carr, the en-
aineer was instantly killed: Waldo Carr,
who was standing beside the boiler, was
so badly injured that lie never recovered
consciousness and died in a short time
after the explosion occurred; Eugene Carr,
who was also near the boiler. was terribly
injured but remained conscious for about
four hours and until after the physicians
arrived, but he kept sinking and died soon
after their arrival. Coroner owen went
out from the city and impanelled a jury.
From the examination of witnesses we OBJ
tained the following facts in regard to the
explosion.
The engine had been started as usual at
seven O'Clock. After running about h:lf
en- hour the engine was stopped and Emory
Carr the engineer, made the remark that
it was not working right and would have
TO be fixed. As the machinery stopped,
William Carr told the men who worked in
the mill Parrow and Graham. to help him
put out the FIRE at the end Of the mill
where the refuse material was burned, as
the " ind was blowing the fire toward the
mill The three commenced on this work
and il is doubtless owing to their doing
this that the loss of life was not even
greater than il was. While they were ex-
tinguishing the fire and as near they
could Judge, about three minutes after the
machinery had been stopped, the explosion
occurred Parrow and Graham were
thrown down and partially stunned by the
force of the shock. All three has,ened
back to help the men in the engine room.
Wm. Carr reached the engine room first
and found his brother Emory lying on his
back near his engine, dead, his skull
crushed and neck broken. Realizing that
Emory was past help, he left him and has
tened to assist Parrow and Graham in re-
leasing Eugene. The latter was terribly
sc2lded by the escaping steam and one Of
his legs was crushed below the knee. He
was conscious, however, and after he had
been extricated begged them TO leave him
and help his brothers. But his brothers,
poor fellows, were beyond all help. Waldo
was found still living, but unconscious.
At the report of the explosion, Emory's
wife, who was the only woman around,
ran quickly from the house to the mill and
vas nearly frantic when she learned the
terrible results. Eugene was helped to the
house end placed on the bed, the skin com
ing off in rolls with his clothes.
A Young man named Richmond, who
was engaged loading shingles on sleigh
at the time of the explosion, started at
once for the city for medical aid. as above
stated. He had been in the engine room
to see why they had shut down and had
Just got behind a large pile of shingles
when the explosion occurred. He said
that the air was so filed with sawdust,
shingles and other material for several
seconds that nothing else could be seen
Several punches of shingles were blown
from the pile behind which he stood and
uTOpptu I'LL dDOut Sdll, tiic
youngest of the brothers, was in the city,
out went out at once when the news was
received.
A boiler maker had repaired the boiler
the week before and pronounced it in good
condition and strong enough to carry so
pounds of steam. In order TO be safe the
safety valve had been placed at rs pounds,
so that it was not the result of careless
ness or inaiiention that the boiler ex-
ploded. The boiler had been placed in the
mill last October and was considered
good one.
The three men killed were the Oldest of
FIVE brothers, all citizens of Alpena.
Waldo was 35 years of age, Eugene 80 and
Emory 81 They came here f.om Clifton,
q small town near Bapgor, Maine. They
came at different times, but all had been
here several years and were considered
honest, hard-working men. They had pur-
chased the mill but recently and were still
engaged in paying for it when the sad
catastrophe occurred.
The sympathy of the entire community
goes out TO the aged parents of the young
men, who reside in this ci.y and were SO
suddenly and so terribly afflicted. The